The R.M.S. Lusitania was a British ocean liner was sunk on May 7, 1915 by a German U-boat as part of German's war policy of unrestricted submarine warfare. The sinking of Lusitania contributed to the United States entry into World War I. The ocean liner left New York City on May 1, 1915 in route to Liverpool. The ocean liner was sunk off the coast of Ireland in 18 minutes killing 1, 198 of 1,959 passengers including 128 Americans. Included among the American causalities was Charles Frohman an owner of multiple theaters in the United States and England as well as a founding member of the Theatrical Syndicate.